Heat control



Aug. 10 .1926. 1,595,242

H. w. PARTLOW mm CONTROL Filed Feb. 25, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug. 101926.

- H. w. PARTLow HEAT CONTROL Filed Feb. 23. 1926 2 Sheets- Sheet 2Patented Aug. 10, 1926.

UNITED STATES HOWAR D PARTLOW, OF U'TIGA, NEW

HEAT CONTROL.

:Application filed February 23, 1926, .Serial No. -90,968.

This invention relates to improvements in heat control designedparticularly for use 1n connection with melting-pots of linotype andintertype machines, industrial and-do mestic ovens, and the like, andhas forits object to provide a novel, simple and positive temperatureindicator and regulator especially adapted for controlling temperaturesproduced by burning gas at relatively high pressure. A further objectislto provide a valve'for con-trolling the'fee-d of the gas towards theburners, as well as novel means for preventing total extiuguishment ofthe gas flame. A fu-rther'object is 'to provide a valve lever which isadjustable by means ofan indicating dial and related parts. A furtherobject is to provide a-novel thermostatice controlfor the valve, whichcomprises a flexible element adapted to be immersed in the molten metalof a melting-pot or which may be inserted' -in an oven,'the' saidelement being charged with mercury, by whose expansion and contractionthe gas valve may be closed and opened, a portion of-themercurybeingdisposed in a chamber that isin constant communication with'saidelement, and being confinedby and adapted to flex a diaphragm, bywhose'flexings the valve lever is rocked for opening and closing the gasvalve. And a further objectis to provide tension means for automaticallyopening the valve when the temperature of the melting-pot or oven falls,and similar means for exerting tension 'by which the diaphragm ismaintained in constant contact with the mercurynotwithstandingthe statusof the adjusting mechanisms, or the lowering of the temperature of themedium that is being heated.

I attain these objects by the means set :Eorth in the detaileddescription which follows, and as illustrated by the accompanyingdrawings, in Which- Figure 1 is atop plan view of the complete device.Fig. 2 is a horizontalsection, taken on line 2-2 of Fig. i. Fig. 3 is ahorizontal section, taken on line 8-'3 of Fig. A. Fig. 4 is a reducedvertical longitudinal section, taken on a line 44i .on Fig. 1. Fig. 5 isa reduced transverse vertical section, taken on line 5-5 Fig. 4. AndFig. 6 is a vertical section through'a melting pot showing the burner,and a portion of =means of a connecting rod 7. -,6 preferably extends aconsiderabledistance flexible thermostatic element partially submergedin the contents of the pot.

In the drawings, 2 represents a hollowbody which supports and houses allof-the working parts'ofthe device. 3 represents the main vertical bodyportion, whichissubstantially cylindrical, the opposite ends thereofhavingthreaded openings, which ar I closed by screw-plugs 3 and 3Thebody 3 is divided'by horizontal walls '3' and 3 into'three chambers,as 4.- i'4 The con tralcomp-artinent 4 comprises the valvechamber, whichreceives the fuel through a threaded hub 4? and an intake pipe 41, anddischarges the gas simultaneously through ports 4 4 .intothe upper.andlower chamber 4;4-, from which the gas and thence by a pipe 5,totheburner'5"that heats the melting-pot A (see Fig. 6}. The

(i -6 andthe dispensing of the fuel-gas from chamber 4 is controlled bya valve comprising similar spaced member 7- 77,

commonly known as a balanced-valv e, the said membersbelng movable asone part, by

above'the seat'fi for guiding, and for main taining the valvessubstantially concentric to'their seats. The bushing .6 is partiallysupported by a glancl-ring'.6, which screws into a socket forme-d in thewall 3, and also by a packing 6 which prevents escape of the gasfrom-chamber 4 into chamber 4*.

Inorder to prevent extinguishment of the gas flame, and therebynecessitating relighting of the burner following each closing of thevalve 77f,'the plug' is fitted with a screw 8, by which the valve maybeheld slightly unseated. The screw 8 ispartially supported and is;concealed, by means of stufling-box-comprising a cup-shaped cap 8 .gas7 flows into a common vertical chamber 4;,

The bushing Y and a packing 8 (see Fig. 4;). The valve member 7 isformed with a threaded socket 7 in which is disposed-the lowerball-end-o'f a red or link 7 the said link being movably held in saidsocket means'of a bushing and its upper end isalso fitted witha ballthat rides upon said lever, The lever 9 ex- 7 The link 7 passes looselythrough a perforation in'one end of the valve lever 9,

' by a screw-driver.

tends horizontally into a hollow arm 3 which is preferably integral tothe body 3, and its enlarged rearend is pivotally supported by theforked lower end of a member 10, to which it is secured by a pin 9.Between the valve 7 and the member 10 the lever 9 is slotted to receivepins 1212, by which the lever is guided when rocked vertically. Theguide-pin 12 is rigid in the wall 3' and supports a cushion spring 12 bywhich the lever 9 is raised for unseating the valve, whenever thetemperature of the melting-pot A falls below a predetermined stage. Theguide-pin 12 depends from the top wall of the arm 3", through which itpasses, the said pin having a slotted head 12', by which it may beapplied and removed The member 10 is supported and controlled directlyby a dial stud 13, the latter being hollow for a part of its length andbeing internally threaded for engaging the threaded upper portion 1O ofthe member 10, and by means of which the said member may be raised andlowered for varying the temperature to be maintained in the melting potA. The lower end of the stud 13 is formed with a flange 13, which seatsin the bottom of a socket 14: of the bushing 14:, the latter beingscrew-threaded into an opening 3 of the arm 3 The stud 13 is heldconcentric to the said bushing, by means of a stuffing-box comprising agland 15, a packing 15, and a ring 15. Above the flanged top end ofgland 15 is mounted a dial or other part 16, by which the stud 13 isrotated. As indicating means similar to the dial 16, is common tothermostatic controls of the class to which the present device belongs,the details of its construction are not shown herein. Valve 77 whenproperly adjusted for providing a certain temperature by the parts 10and 13, its operation thereafter is controlledentirely by a thermostaticmechanism, which will now be described:

17 represents a hollow cylindrical body hereinafter referred to as thediaphragm chamber, whose top end is reduced and threaded for screwinginto an opening 3 of the arm 3". The lower normally open end of chamber17 is threaded and is closed by a screw-plug 17 the said plug having adepending threaded hub 17, to which a corical coupling 17 b is secured.Both the plug 17 and the. coupling 17 are bored out axially forproviding a relatively small passage, which extends upwardly andcommunicates with a relatively large cavity or recess 18 which is formedin the top end of plug 17. The cavity 18 is surrounded by a narrowraised portion 17, upon which is mounted a diaphragm 19 that preferablyconsists of a disc of soft, flexible and somewhat elastic material, suchas leather, and upon the diaphragm is disposed a clamping ring 19,

which with the diaphragm may be forced downwardly upon the ledge 17, forsealing the open top of the cavity 18, by means of screws 19', which arethreaded into the plug 17 (see Figs. 3 and Above the diaphragm 19 isdisposed a plunger 20, which extends axially through the open top end ofchamber 17, and by which said plunger is supported and guided. The lowerend of the plunger is round, and is norn'ially in engagement with hediaphragm 19, in which position it is held by a spring 20, the latterbeing disposed between a flange 20 and the top wallof chamber 17. Thetop end of the plunger is reduced as at 20", and this portion isnormally in engagement with the bottom edge of the lever 9. The arrowsin Figs. 1, 2 and 5 show the direction of flow of the fuel-gas. 21represents the flexible thermostatic element, which preferably comprisesa relatively thin pliant steel tube of small calibre whose plain top endis inserted in the passage-way of theconical cap 17 and in freecommunication with the cavity 18, while its lower end connects with asteel bulb 22, which comprises a cylindrical body 22, and similartelescoping plugs 22 22'. These plugs are preferably welded to thetubular body, and the plug 22 is also preferably welded to the tube 21.The bulb 22 and the tube 21 are preferably filled with mercury :0 (seeFig. 4), and in order to facilitate the charging of said parts with themercury, the plug 22 is preferably formed with a threaded opening 22. Toapply the mercury 00. the tube 21 is bent until the bulb 22 is broughtto a slightly higher plane than the cavity 18. The mercury is thenpoured into the bulb and allowed to gravitate toward the cavity untilthe latter is substantially filled. A screw 23 is then applied to thehole 22 and is welded in place for preventing leakage of the mercuryfrom the bulb and tube. During the filling of the element 21 the plunger20 is preferably lifted suficiently to allow the downwardly fordepressing the diaphragm into the cavity 18, as shown in Fig. 1-. Thisdisplaces a small amount of the mercury from the cavity 18 which escapesbetween the ledge 17 and the diaphragm. lVhen the plunger and diaphragmhave been adjusted properly according to the showing in Fig. 4, thescrews 19 are tightened up for clam ing the diaphragm sufliciently toprevent any further escape or loss of the mercury. The thermostaticmechanism if left in the condition last described needs no furtherattention while the heat controlling device performs its work. Thenfollows the adjust ment of the dial-plug and member 10, for

predetermining the temperature of the melti ing pot A or other medium tobe heated, as shown, for example, in Fig. 4, in which the thermostaticmechanism'is holding the valve 7'. closed, which means that thetemperature-ot melting pot A is right. When the gas supply, a valve forcontrolling the gas,

temperature of pot A falls below the predetermined degree the mercurycontracts, and allows the spring 12 to open the valve for supplying theburner with fuel gas, and when the temperature of the pot A againreaches the proper degree the mercury will have expanded suiiiciently tolift the plunger upwardly. This tilts the lever 9 in the di rection forclosing the valve 7-7, and so on.

The present invention is designed particularly for use in connectionwith meltingpots that are relatively shallow, and also melting-pots thatare arranged to be rotated or tilted when discharging their contents. Inall such cases it is required that the heat control be supported byother means than the melting-pot asheretotore, and for this reason it isrequired that the thermostatic element 21, be of such length and ol'sufficient flexibility to permit the melting-pot to be shifted from oneposition to. another, as explained. And in order to provide a safe andpractical container for the mercury, it is preferred that the element 21be made of lightgauge steel tubing, which affords the requisiteflexibility, and is not liable to be corroded or otherwise attacked bythe mercury. The provision of the mercury, which takes the place of theall metal thermostats in common use, enables me to produce an extremelysensitive, positive and reliable heat control, that is not liable todeteriorate by long use, and which is not aliected by extreme heat,which sooner or later renders any solid metal parts unreliable, andrequires frequent replacing, thereby necessitating considerable expense,as well as loss of time and interruption of the thermal control. Havingthus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a heat control thecombination with a melting-pot, and a gas filled casing, a valve fordispensing the gas for heating a medium, a lever for operating saidvalve. a plunger for operating said lever, a meltingpot, a diaphragmchamber in which said plunger reciprocates, a flexible tube extendingfrom said chamber towards the meltingpot and having a bulb adapted to beimmersed in the contents of said pot, the bottom of said chamber beingformed with a cavity, said tube, and said bulb adapted to be filled withmercury, a diaphragm closing said cavity and supporting said plunger,said diaphragm being bulged downwardly into the cavity and being inconstant contact with the mercury, said diaphragm and said plungeradapted to be raised by the expansion of the mercury for shutting offthe gas to the melting-pot, tension means for opencontracts by thecooling of the contents of said pot.

2. The combination with a source-of "fuel and a melting-pot adapted tobe heated by the gas, of a thermostatic element for opening and closingsaid valve comprising a flexible tube having a bulb at one end adaptedto be immersed in the contents of the melting-pot, a. hollow body havinga passage formed in its bottom adapted to receive the plain end of saidtube, said body having a cavity communicating with said passage, saidtube. said bulb, and said cavity adapted to be filled with mercury,anon-metallic diaphragm in said body overlying said bottom and closingthe open top of said cavity, the central port-ion of said diaphragmbeing bulged into the cavity, a plunger above said diaphragm having around end conforming to the bulge of the diaphragm, a spring formaintaining the bulge of the diaphragm, a leve 1 for operating saidvalve in constant engagement with said plunger, and means for adjustingsaid lever for predetermining the temperature of the melting-pot.

3. In a heat control the combination with a melting-pot, a casingadapted to be charged with gas for heating said pot, and a valve in saidcasing for dispensing the gas, of a hollow body supported by saidcasing, said body having a concentric passage and a cavity above andcommunicating with said passage, a diaphragm overlying and sealing saidcavity, a plunger disposed above and its lower end in contact with thediaphragm, means for operatively connecting said plunger with the gasvalve, a thermostatic element comprising a flexible tube one end of saidtube adapted to be inserted in said passage, the other end of said tubecomprising a bulb adapted to be immersed in the contents of themelting-pot, said tube, said bulb, and also saidcavity being filled Withmercury and adapted when the mercury congas, of a hollow body formedwith an up wardly facing cavity, and a passage leading downwardly fromsaid cavity, a flexible tube having a bulb at one end adapted to beimmersed in the contents of the melting-pot said bulb, said tube, andsaid cavity adapted to be filled with mercury, a diaphragm sealing theopen top of saidcavity, the medial portion of said diaphragm being sunkbelow the said open top, a rocking lever for operating said valve, aplunger mounted axially above the diaphragm its lower end being seatedin the depression of the diaphragm and its top end projecting into saidcasing and irictionally engaging the remote end of said lever, adapedwhen raised and lowered by the expansion and contraction of the mercuryto close and open said valve, and a spring for normally maintaining the10 depression of the diaphragm.

In testimony whereof I affiX my signature.

HOWARD W. PARTLOW.

